Kumamoto, Kyushu;  Japan
Aug. 12th, 1893
Dear Mr. Scudder, -
Thanks for kind
letter.  I have returned
all the proofs, after doing
the best I could with
them.  The papers printed
in the Atlantic needed
only a few very light
touches;  - the earlier
papers gave me more
anxiety, and I made
several erasures of
what had once seemed
to me very fine.  I
feel that it has been
of the greatest importance
to give me the privilege





of seeing the proofs.  The
later papers will give me
no anxiety, but they
will certainly need
touches, - those that keep
all of a book in one
tone.
- As for your
advice and wishes I
will try to follow
both.  I did send
a paper the other day,
- but I feel it is
not what you want,
and must be put
aside.  I have also,
nearly finished, a sort
of reverie, - "The Dream





of a Summer Day."  I
hope to send it this
month, but fear it will
not suit you.  However,
later, I may do better.
Studies of real Japanese
life I can make only
at long intervals:  they
are just what I want
to do, but very hard
to do.  Fancy a maga-
zine editor asking me
to write a novel of
Japanese life on "good
terms"!  The man does
not live who can do it,
- at least, that is my





opinion.  It would be much
easier to write a novel
of Assyrian life in
the cuneiform dialect.
But I am trying
to write some pages of
the life of a Japanese
child, -
Ever very truly yours
Lafcadio Hearn
Tsuboi, Nishihoribata 35
Kumamoto